Projects
New Projects
- Enhancing Diversification and SME Competitiveness in Swaziland
- Capacity Building for Enterprise Improvement and Diversification: Juaben Oil Palm Outgrowers, Ghana
- Pan-Caribbean SME-ICT Competitiveness Development Programme (Phase II)
- Development of Marketing Services for Brunei SMEs
- SME Policy and Strategy Development in Seychelles
- SME Policy Development in Uganda
- Training of Women Trainers and Entrepreneurs in the South Pacific
- Development of Coastal Fisheries’ Small to Medium Enterprises in Pacific Island Countries
Project Examples
SME Policy Development in Uganda
This project is assisting the government of Uganda to develop policies and strategies that will improve the performance of SMEs and increase their contribution to economic growth. SMEs are predominant in Uganda’s private sector and provide employment for about 90% (1.5 million) of the non-farm agricultural work force. Existing government policy documents such as the ‘Medium Term Competitiveness Strategy for the Private Sector’ do not focus directly on SMEs. This project through a consultative process will develop a coherent national SME policy with supporting strategies and capacity building programmes for agencies that will implement the recommendations.
Pan-Caribbean SME-ICT Competitiveness Development Programme (Phase II)
This project was developed based on requests for technical assistance received from Barbados, Guyana, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Due to similarities in the requests and for effectiveness in programme delivery, they were amalgamated into a single regional project. The objectives of the project are to:
(a) develop effective strategies and roadmaps for the three client countries in the area of SME development, which may subsequently be integrated into each country’s economic development/SME policy/activities; and
(b) provide assistance through training in facilitating the SME sub-sectors to work together, including making use of appropriate ICT applications.
The project will have a set of independent deliverables, bespoke to each client country, and a set of common deliverables as outlined below. This is especially relevant in the context of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy. The following are the project’s outputs:
(i) SME strategy for Barbados with an emphasis on the use of ICT in the various sub-sectors;
(ii)SME strategy for Guyana that is in line with the new economic development plans of the Government;
(iii) ICT strategy plan for SVG, specifically aimed at the development of the small business sector;
(iv) Network Brokerage System for all three client countries; and
(v) SME Database that profiles the resources available in the SME sector in each country.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity in Nigeria to Comply with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Obligations
This project provides technical assistance to Nigeria to enable the country meet the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements of international trade in non-traditional food exports such as fresh and processed fruits, tubers (yam and cassava) and spices. The assistance consists of two components: a) a review of existing regulatory framework for food safety and quality control with recommendations for improving the system, and b) training of trainers’ workshops on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Handling Practices (GHP), national obligations under the WTO SPS Agreement, risk analysis, Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) and traceability principles.
SME Policy and Strategy Development in Seychelles
This project is assisting the Government of Seychelles to review and reformulate its SME policy. Growth sub-sectors will be identified and strategies needed to enhance productivity of SMEs in these sectors will be recommended. As part of this project, institutional capacity building programmes for key SME support agencies, e.g. Small Enterprise Development Agency will be implemented. The Commonwealth Secretariat is collaborating with ProInvest and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to further assist SME support institutions and the Government of Seychelles to implement recommended strategies.
Development of Small to Medium Enterprises in the Coastal Fisheries Sub-Sector in Pacific Island Countries (PICs)
This project aims to increase private sector participation in the development of the coastal fisheries sub-sector of PICs by improving the entrepreneurial and business management skills of small business owners through capacity building programmes. It has adapted the International Labour Organization entrepreneurial training programme, Start and Improve Your Business to the fisheries sector. Two training courses were developed: Start Your Fisheries Business (SYFB) and Improve Your Fisheries Business. More than 400 trainees have completed the SYFB training course and nationals from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have gone on or have been trained to become certified trainers who will then deliver these courses to small fisheries business owners.